A Year of Gratitude and Growth for Maine’s Trails
The past year has been remarkable for Maine’s trail networks. The overwhelming support for the trails bond last fall immediately fueled the launch of the brand-new Maine Trails Program (MTP). As we enter the holiday season, we have much to be grateful for, especially the dedication of the organizations and volunteers working to make Maine’s trails better.
The Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL) moved rapidly to establish the program. Bureau staff not only defined the new program and application process but also took their show on the road, offering workshops and trainings around the state and online. Meanwhile, the MTC (with the support of the Natural Resources Council of Maine) ramped up our MTP Task Force and Ambassador volunteer network to support applicants.
By the September 29, 2025 deadline, BPL had received a remarkable 105 applications in the program’s inaugural round (read more here). Congratulations to all who successfully navigated the process and submitted applications. We also extend a huge thank you to the volunteer members of BPL’s Advisory Committee, each of whom reviewed 40+ applications during the intense evaluation period.
Learning from Round One
While applicants eagerly await the announcement of funded projects (expected before year-end), BPL is already preparing for the next round, anticipated to begin in early 2026. This makes learning from the first round crucial.
To inform the next cycle, we joined forces with the MTP Ambassador volunteers to conduct the MTP Stakeholder Survey. The survey recently closed, gathering a total of 144 responses from a wide variety of trails groups across the state. Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the survey! Your input is invaluable.
Initial Survey Highlights:
Diversity: About 40% of responses came from motorized trail groups (snowmobile and ATV), with the balance including municipalities, land trusts, mountain bike groups, equestrian organizations, and other nonprofits.
Challenges: There are clear trends in the feedback indicating that some parts of the application process were challenging, prompting many narrative responses about why groups didn't apply or what their process was like.
Support: Despite the difficulties, there is overwhelming support for the program's existence and appreciation for the BPL team. Comments included: "Very glad this program exists," "This is a much needed program," and "The workshops were instrumental in our decision to apply." Typical phrases used to describe the BPL team were, “extremely helpful and responsive” and “diligent.”
Next Steps: Planning for 2026
December will be another busy month for the program's partners as BPL prepares for the next round:
MTP Task Force Review: Our Task Force, including Ambassador volunteers, will meet to analyze and prioritize the survey data. The team will pinpoint priorities for training and resources they can help provide in 2026.
Advisory Committee Debrief: BPL will convene its MTP Advisory Committee mid-month. Task Force representatives will attend to share the survey findings and prioritized suggestions. (While the final decisions rest with the Bureau, the survey feedback establishes clear themes regarding successes and challenges of the process.)
We anticipate that BPL will release the guidelines for the next round of the MTP program in early 2026. Publication of the package of guidelines and application materials, often called a “Request for Proposals” (RFP), signals that the program is officially finalized for the next round and is accepting applications. The next RFP will likely have a deadline of June, 2026. Thank you to the BPL team for keeping up the MTP momentum and completing the first round this year!
Stay Connected
To receive MTP news, including award announcements and updates on the next round:
Sign up for the Maine Trails Coalition newsletter (sign up here).
Subscribe to BPL’s Trail Grant Notices list (sign up here).
If you work with a trails organization and would like to volunteer as an MTP Ambassador to help others apply, please email mainetrailscoalition@gmail.com.
###
